Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez was booked for placing Napoli’s Elif Elmas in a headlock during last night’s game.
As per footage from LFC Transfer Room on Twitter, Nunez could be seen in an altercation with Elmas from a Liverpool corner.
Twice pushing the Napoli midfielder, the Uruguayan then went for a grab around the back of his neck. Understandably, Elmas doesn’t react too well, throwing himself to the ground.
The referee was less than impressed, brandishing a well-deserved yellow card for Nunez. Thankfully, the VAR didn’t step in to upgrade the punishment, as it was perhaps bordeline.
As well as his yellow card, Nunez claimed a goal and an assist in his 17 minutes on the pitch. Honestly, it’s never, ever dull with Darwin.
Darwin the menace
If any game could sum Nunez’s time in a Liverpool shirt up so far, it was last night’s. A goal, an assist, a yellow card for a rush of blood. Pure chaos. All in just over 15 minutes.
This was a pretty crazy moment from the 23-year-old though, as the red mist descended. Had the referee seen it more clearly, or been a little stricter, he couldn’t have argued too much had he been sent off.
Given what happened on his Anfield debut earlier this season, that would have been unforgivable from Nunez. It might be worth Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool coaches showing this back to their player.
Had he been reprimanded as some will feel he should have been, he could have missed the first leg of the last-16 tie.
In a game with nothing riding on it, that would have been criminal.
But, having said all that, he was probably just about okay for a yellow card with this one. It’s nice to see someone with a bit of fight in them after Liverpool’s limp recent displays, too.
Once Nunez came onto the pitch, Liverpool’s intensity seemed to go up. It isn’t a coincidence that he was involved in both goals. The Napoli defenders didn’t want to deal with him having kept the more pedestrian Roberto Firmino quiet.
And deal with him they couldn’t. Some fans will expect to see Nunez from the start in every Liverpool game between now and the World Cup. But there’s also plenty to be said for using his pace to terrorise tiring defenders as he did here. Either way, he’s bound to make an impact one way or another.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
